YouTube is now offering its users the opportunity to download certain videos as another alternative to streaming. Google-owned YouTube stated it has started collaborating with several partners to offer downloadable videos for free or for small fees paid through the Google Checkout.| Video copyright owners would be able to offer videos for download using Creative Commons licenses. YouTube has created a My Purchases tab below the My Videos menu to assist users monitor the videos they have downloaded. Overall, this may be an attempt by Google to produce revenue beyond advertising.

YouTube is not very likely to draw in major studios or content providers as partners, however, as videos will be downloadable in MP4 format, which comes without Digital Rights Management technology, making the videos easier to copy and distribute. Google stated it has begun testing free downloads from the U.S. universities Stanford, UC Berkeley and UCLA.